Jason Blackthorne
Jason Blackthorne, the Last Storm King, is one of the most renowned figures in Aradian history. He is famous for killing the Underking Vermithrax in single combat, effectively ending the Demon Wars in a single stroke and reconnecting the old kingdoms of the Thunderlands to mainstream Aradian society. He created House Blackthorne as a ruling body of his kingdom, the Thunderlands, and his dynasty continues to this day. Although adored by the realm and a frequent subject of portraiture, art and historical speculation, Jason was a private man and there are a number of mysteries about his life that remain unsolved. All accounts agree that he was a fair and honorable ruler who fought tirelessly against the demon threat, and to repair the realm after what it suffered during the war. He is revered by his descendants, and many young aspiring heroes, as the ideal role model. Appearance and Character Jason was described as a classical hero in his appearance. He had a commanding presence and a powerful speaking voice that gave him a magnetic charisma. His High Elven ancestry made him tall, lithe and strikingly beautiful; portraiture made of him in his youth shows his shoulder-length red hair, calm grey eyes, high cheekbones, slightly pointed ears, dimpled chin and handsome jawline. In later life, his hair turned a rustier color and he grew a thick chest-length beard. Despite these changes, accounts at the time of his death would say that he looked no older than 30. He often wore fine clothes in the colors blue and silver, wearing little jewelry save for a sapphire broach that kept his hair from his eyes and a golden pendant about his neck. In wartime he would don a suit of enchanted Brecilidian scale armor that was said to shine as if it were made of diamonds. He would carry the sword Redwing to battle, though some accounts claim that he preferred to wield a lance or spear. He was rarely seen without his constant companion, a great grey she-griffin named Nimue. His personal arms were a silver griffin on a blue field, which later become the banner of House Blackthorne. Jason was a charismatic and wise leader. He worked tirelessly to defeat the demons hordes and achieve peace with the mainland; accounts from historians describe his calmness and patience, and how he could lighten any situation with gentle witticisms. He was a diplomat, and though he had few close friends he never had enemies for long, always managing to reconcile past grievances. Curiously, there are no records of him displaying any of the arrogance, avarice and amorality that his descendants would later become known for. Skills and Abilities Jason was a legendary warrior, the only living terrestrial to have slain an adult Wyvern. It is said he was a master-at-arms, and was unsurpassed on the training field with any weapon he turned his hand to. He had an affinity for polearm weapons such as staves, lances, spears and halberds, but more often used the ancestral greatsword Redwing. Jason was also an extremely powerful sorcerer, master terramancer who could bend the elements to his will. His abilities ranged from creating terrifying tornados that could destroy entire demon encampments, to revitalizing barren earth so life and crops could spring from it again. He was bonded with a she-griffin and was a lethal aerial combatant, but was equally skilled on horseback, being among the first winners of the Everglow Tourney at the age of 79. Jason also had considerable skill as an orator, tactician and political leader. History Early details of Jason's life are sketchy at best; after the First Blackthorne Civil War his son Jarvis had most Stormlord histories put to the torch, leaving the details of his father's life lost to the annals of time. Accounts from historians describe Jason's recollections of his youth; he was born into a poverty-striken shadow of the old Western kingdoms, and it is said that his father the King held a loveless marriage with Jason's mother, who was the King's seventh wife (the rest had died without issue). Queen Arielle wanted desperately to intervene in the Demon Wars, but the aging King refused her at every turn, insisting that the Thunderlands must keep to their own as his ancestors had decreed. Jason suggested that his mother eventually died of a winter fever, and that his father was consumed by the rot that had become common to High Elves. As soon as he was coronated, Jason looked across the ocean to see the mountain-sized King Vermithrax descending onto the battlefield and decided that his mother had been right--the time had come to intervene. Mounting his griffin Nimue, he flew to the Deadlands and struck Vermithrax dead, and thereafter aided the rest of the realm in destroying the remaining demon forces. He was revered for his actions and given a seat on the re-established Everglow Senate. He ruled justly until his death at the age of 100. Legacy Jason was married first to a High Elven beauty named Antigone, with whom he had a son named Gawain. Antigone passed away after succumbing to the withering curse that had subsumed her family, and Jason did not re-marry for many years. When he did he chose a daughter of the now-extinct human House Loghain, with whom he had a second son Jarvis. This marriage also yielded a third son, a boy named Jaster; the boy died young, though records are conflicted as to how. Gawain eventually married Yelena and had a single son named Agravain. Gawain himself was slain in single combat with the Black Knight of Brackensbridge in 314AE, and when Jason died this left Agravain next in line for succession--however, this was unlawfully disputed by Jarvis, sparking a civil war. Jarvis' eventual victory drastically changed Jason's vision for the House; they did away with their sorcery and focused instead upon their finances, soon becoming a grotesquely wealthy dynasty who used the influence their forefather gave them to undermine and exploit other Houses, something Jason would have abhorred. Gallery Jason blackthorne.png Jason2.jpg Jason3.jpg Category:IronParagon's Characters